The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1887-05-12
THE STAY-AT-H0ME.
A SOUTHERN SKETCH.

Everybody knew where Davcnport's
was, and everybody m1de pilgrimagcs to
it in the hour of need. No matter
whether the need took the form of a
spool OF sewing silk or iron castings for
gin stands-somewhcro among Davcn-
ports heterogeneous stock it was sure to
be found. Davenport" sported no
sign. 1t was proudly independent of
any such Fictitious aids of prominence.
As well label the country court house a s
plaster a sign on Dlvenports time -hon-
ored front. There was but one court
house and one Davenport's and honors
we're easy between them in Slowvillc.
Furthermore (apropos of a sign), human
ingenuity would have been staggered to
compose any inscription for sign that
would have been mcasurably descrip-
tive of the ola podrida on Davcnport's
shelves.
Mail day was Davenports harvest day
but matters within the store must be
pressing indeed to force Davenport him
self behind the counter. He looked
curiously out Of place weighing plug to-
bacco or drawing quart of black mo-
lasscs in payment for dozen eggs.
There was a totally irreconcilable in.
congruty between him and his sur
roundings. lie had the build of an
athlete, and was one, without any sccn-
tific training. His head, superbly
shaped, and set squarely on columnar
throat, was covered thickly with a ycl-
low mass of short curls, and his chin
with long silky beard of the same col.
or. His eyes were blue and bright and
penetrating. A pure Saxon type was
Davenport, with general suggestion
of great physical strength and dclibera
ate purpose about him. If the gray
store with its assured income had mo-
come to him by inheritance, doubtless he
would have done something with himsel
in the world. AS it was, he shirked tn,
tobacco box and the molasscs barre
whenever practicable, and in the Ion.
summer days, when there was not mucl
doing, he read Keats and Coleridge witt
oblivious delight on the long store gal
lery, fighting flies with one hand all tn
while. He had never been away fror
home to school, ''couldn't be spared fror
the store" He had grown up in it, bu
has never grown into it. Hidden some
where in that muscular organism of hi
wns dumb unsatisficd longing for bet
ter things to do and to be than fate ha,
so far accorded him. When the wa
broke out it was with an envious pan
he saw other fellows 60 off to the field
He would have loved to go with them
but, looking his duty squarely in tn
face by the best light he had, thcr
seemed to bc a stronger call to stay O
home. He grew into monster in loc'
estimation. His staying out of the arm
had secured him the contempt of tn
neighborhood; his busy, earnest specu
lation excited its disgust and horror
Even in the little house behind til
pome9ranate. bushes there were clout
and distrust Davenports wife was n
longer proud of him. She hung h,
head for him, and he knew it-knew i
and WINGED under it =, silently, an
thought enviously of the men who wei
of with the army, fighting and bein
wounded. He would gladly have C:
changed his wound for theirs.
When the river was blockaded and a
the country on both sides of the Missi
sippi, from Vicksburg to New Orlean
: was virtually in stage of siege, peop
said: "Now Davcnports hour of triumy
had come" and those who had bee
most open in denouncing him recalle
. their rash words rcgretfully. What the
had said was all true, of course, but
had better been left unsaid, for in {
the country nowhere but at Davenport
were medicines, or sugar, and tea, ar
;. meal, and everything that went to SUI
tain life to be procured. The grindc
ceased grinding and the great mill whec
J., stood motionless. The ungathered GRO
stood in the fields, at the mercy of m
rauding cattle. A universal paialy
seized upon the land. Pallid-fac
IA women asked, What nextl
- Yes, Davenports hour of triumph h
II, comel He did not call it his hour
re triumph. He simply said that h
befallen which he had known
along must come. Then, jul
iously, wisely, patiently. he
gan his ministrations, melting out CO
fort OF a material sort with tho ste
impartiality of a Judge on the benc
and the patient tenderness of Jose
yearning over his suffering brethrt
Nothing that led to the relief of nee
sity was too remote for his acute gra
of the situation, nothing too minute
secure his attention. Without price
gave up his boarded substance, and 10
after white sugar became luxury I
costly for consumption on the table
the little white cottage, Randolph Fa
fsx's wife had it on hers. There h